Nice. I handed the boys each a copper and the packages, instructing them to deliver them to the Magician’s Keep.
Reema’s face whitened. “You’re trusting them? Just like that?” she asked me.
Insulted, Amberle snapped, “That’s my brother and cousin. They would never steal from a customer. Master Fisk would throw them out of the guild.”
“Has he thrown many out?” I asked.
“A few,” she acknowledged with a sad shake of her head. Amberle touched her pendant. “Is there anything more you need today?”
“Yes.” I pulled a list from my pocket.
Reema groaned, then said, “I’ll meet you back at the Keep.”
“No. Some of these things are for Teegan, and I’ll need your opinion on them.”
She eyed me with suspicion. “What for?”
“He’s going to be enrolled as a student and he’ll need some basic items like paper and ink.” Plus I needed a few comforts for my apartment.
Not happy, she grumbled and dragged her feet. I ignored her as Amberle guided us to various stalls and stores in the market. She answered all my questions about working as a guild member, but I could tell she wondered why I was so curious. Reema, though, saw right through me. She shot me so many poisoned glares, I stopped counting after ten.
In the rug store, Fisk appeared next to me as I browsed through a collection of small remnants.
“Don’t scare me like that.” I had grabbed my switchblade, but hadn’t triggered the blade.
“Sorry,” he said, but his smirk countered any genuine remorse. “Your reflexes have improved. Been training?”
“Always. Once you stop, you lose your edge.” I rubbed my shoulder, remembering Sarn’s vise grip as he had tossed me to the ground.
He nodded to Reema, who sat in a corner with her arms crossed over her chest, staring at the floor. “Is that her?”
“Yes.”
Amberle hustled over to us in concern. “Lovely Opal, I hope I—”
“Relax,” Fisk said. “I have some business to discuss with Opal. Can you take Reema to the bakery?” He handed her a silver coin. “Buy her a dozen of those delightful cinnamon cookies Barb makes. We’ll meet you there.”
“Yes, sir.”
As Amberle went to collect Reema, Fisk pulled me outside and led me to an empty alley. I scanned the area, remembering the last time Fisk had shown me a back door and I had walked right into an ambush.
“Looking for rats?” he asked, smiling.
“I still owe you for that.”
“Master Bloodgood already paid me.”
I stared at him.
“It was business, Opal. Nothing personal.”
“Yeah, right.” I let him fidget for a moment. “Any news?”
“Not on your boy, Finn. He hasn’t come through here and no one has heard of him.”
Not like it was a big surprise. Yet disappointment still welled. He waited and I realized he had more information. “Well?”
“I found out more on those pearls.”
“Good or bad?”
“Depends. If you’re looking to buy a pearl, the prices have dropped significantly. There are so many available, it’s a buyer’s market. However, if you make your living harvesting oysters for pearls, you’re out of luck. And income.”
“Have farms closed?”
“The smaller ones have, but a couple of the bigger ones are in trouble.”
Interesting discussion, but I wondered why Fisk cared, so I asked him. “And don’t tell me it smells fishy.”
I surprised a laugh from him, but he soon returned to being serious. “I think someone is messing with the market on purpose, driving those others out of business. Once the supply is controlled by one farm, then they can withhold pearls and drive the prices up as high as they want.”
“Again, why do you care?”
He jabbed a hand toward the market. “They’re messing with my customers. Already a few jewelry stores are putting pearls aside, waiting for the price increase.”
“How can I help?”
“Can you talk to Councilor Bloodgood? The oyster farms that are closing are along the Bloodgood coast. Maybe he can do something about it.”
Remembering Bain’s comments, I said, “I’m not sure the Councilor would agree to talk to me. Have you tried Master Bloodgood?”
“Yes. He has to remain impartial unless there is evidence of foul play.”
“I’ll try to see the Councilor. Do you have any idea which farm is harvesting all those pearls?” I asked.
“I just got a name today. They must be located close to the Jewelrose border. They call themselves—”
“The Bloodrose Clan.”
20
“HOW DID YOU KNOW?” FISK ASKED.
“When you said they lived close to the Jewelrose border, I guessed. I’ve been to their compound.” A stark, dreary place.
“Why?”
I told him about Quinn.
“You saved another magician from flameout?”
“No. He managed to gain control of his powers, but Quinn wanted to stay so we left him there. We didn’t have much choice. They weren’t doing anything illegal.”
Fisk considered. “Where is their compound?”
On the tip of the Lion’s Claw Peninsula, but I wouldn’t tell Fisk. He tried to hide his interest behind a casual question. “Do not send any of your guild members to spy on them. Don’t even pretend you weren’t thinking it.” I waggled a finger at him.
He conceded defeat. “Your observation skills have improved, as well. Who’s been teaching you?”
“A friend,” I hedged. I wasn’t ready to tell him about Valek’s training.
“What about these Bloodroses?”
What indeed? “I’ll look into it.” I expected a dubious look or for him to question me on how I planned to investigate.
Instead, he nodded. “Good. Let me know what you find out.”
I smiled at his bossy tone. “Do I get a necklace, then?”
“You like those?”
“They’re pretty.”
“Unfortunately, they were necessary. This other group is becoming a problem.”
“Do you need help with them?”
“No. This is my world, Opal. I need to deal with them.”
I almost reached out to him. He should be dealing with the problems of being a teenager—girls, raging hormones, schoolwork—not rival gangs and a monopoly grab. “Fisk, when you have a few free days, find me. I have another job for you.”
“Sounds intriguing. But it might be a couple months before I have the time.”
“That’s fine.”
We exited the alley. As we searched for Reema and Amberle, Fisk glanced sideways at me. “You’re not going to tell me anything about this new job, are you?”
“Nope.”
“It’s not payback for that ambush I organized, is it?”
“Nope. Don’t worry, you’ll enjoy it.” I suppressed a grin. I planned to send him on a vacation. Probably the first for him.
We found the girls sitting at one of the tables outside Barb’s Bakery. Crumbs littered the table and cinnamon sugar clung to Reema’s chin. Packages surrounded them. When the girls spotted us, Reema jumped to her feet and shot Fisk a terrified glare. Keeping his distance, Fisk waved goodbye.
After arranging for the packages to be delivered to the Keep and to my apartment, I paid Amberle for her help. Reema kept pace with me as we followed the procession of boys to my apartment building. Once there, I gave each boy a copper. They thanked me and hurried off. As they raced down the street, calls of “you’re it” and “am not” echoed. I smiled, but Reema frowned at them.
She helped me carry the bags up to the third floor. I unpacked and put my purchases away as Reema walked around the rooms. When I finished, I found her standing by the window in my bedroom. Her hair shone in the sunlight. I joined her. The Keep’s tall towers dominated the view.
She turned and gestured to the room. “Are you rich?”
Reviewing our shopping trip, I shouldn’t be surprised by her question. I debated. Naked truth versus it’s-none-of-your-business. “Yep.” I braced for her follow-up question and she didn’t disappoint me.